Natural & Artificial Selection Practice Quiz

What is Natural Selection?

Answer: When an environment selects for a trait in organisms.

What are Directional, Stabilizing, Disruptive Natural Selection?

Answer: Directional – Toward one extreme Stabilizing – Toward the middle Disruptive – Away from the middle toward both extremes

Who came up with the idea of natural selection through his travels and writing a book called on the origins of species?

Answer: Charles Darwin

What were the two main ideas in Darwins book?

Answer: Tree Thinking (The theory of evolution) Natural Selection.

Where did Darwin make all is discoveries?

Answer: When he sailed and explored South America and the Galapagos Islands. He sailed on the HMS Beagle.

Natural selection is all about ________ and _________.

Answer: Survival and Reproduction

Organisms are in a ___________ that results in the term survival of the ________.

Answer: Struggle for existence & Fittest or not being the worst. Organisms have an unequal ability to reproduce there for only the organisms that are best suited survive.

T/F: Natural Selection is caused by humans selecting for traits?

Answer: False, that is artificial selection.

T/F: Humans have evolved over time?

Answer: True

T/F: Large populations with no migration are more likely to evolve than small, migrant populations.

Answer: False, small populations are more likely to evolve.

Which statement about the members of a population that live long enough o reproduce is consistent with the theory of evolution by natural selection? They transmit traits by use and disuse They produce fewer offspring They are the ones that are best suited for their environment They perpetuate unfavorable changes in the species.

Answer: They are the ones that are best suited for their environment.

When a dairy farmer chooses to breed the cows that give the most milk in the heard, the farmers are following the principle of _________.

Answer: Artificial Selection

Suppose that the wings of fruit flies were clipped short for 50 generations. The offspring of those flies all had normal-length wings. This observation would ten to disprove the idea of _________. Inheritance of Natural Variations Inheritance of acquired characteristics Natural Selection Survival of the fittest

Answer: Inheritance of acquired characteristics.

According to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, individuals who survive are the ones best adapted for their environment. Their survival is due to the _______. Possession of adaptations developed through use. Possession of inherited adaptations that maximize fitness. Lack of competition within the species. Choices made by plant and animal breeders.

Answer: Possession of inherited adaptations that maximize fitness.

Which of the following explains how teosinte plants may have been selectively bred by Native Americans to first produce corn? Teosinte plants with the desired traits were mated together until the desired traits appeared, then the offspring were bred together. Teosinte plants were randomly bred until the desired traits appeared, then the offspring were crossed. Teosinte plants were mated with corn plants, and the resulting hybrids with the desired traits were bred. Teosinte plants with similar characteristics were bred together until the desired traits were produced.

Answer: Teosinte plants were mated with corn plants, and the resulting hybrids with the desired traits were bred.

What is the purpose of artificial selection (selective breeding)? To increase the genetic variation in a population. To pass desired traits to the next generation. To make organisms that have genes with mutations. Produce cloned organisms that are genetically identical.

Answer: To pass desired traits to the next generation.